Camera imaging systems used in the film industry and the like have traditionally captured images in an anamorphic format. The anamorphic format involves compression of the optical image being captured so that a large field of view with a large aspect ratio could be captured at a smaller area. This allows image quality to remain high, but cost and space savings to be realized without using a larger imaging format. The anamorphic images that are captured are later projected through an anamorphic projection lens to un-squeeze the image at a larger aspect ratio for display.
The anamorphic image capture process, however, introduces aberrations in the captured images that have a distinctive cinematographic look. Such aberrations include optical flare, coma, and other aberrations that characterize the appearance of an anamorphic capture.
The advent of digital image capture systems has increased the desire of individuals to use anamorphic format and anamorphic lenses. However, spherical lens capture systems are typically less complex and expensive to construct and maintain than anamorphic systems, thus reducing the availability of anamorphic systems.
The nostalgia present with an anamorphic capture process, however, remains with many directors, cinematographers, and other individuals. Many individuals appreciate the aberrations that are present with an anamorphic image capture process and seek to introduce such aberrations in their image capture. Other non-film industry individuals also seek to introduce such aberrations into their images (e.g., amateur photographers, users of camera phones, etc.).
Digital and post-production processes have been developed to digitally introduce such aberrations into captured images. Such digital aberrations, however, are off-putting to many and do not represent an authentic effort at recreating the aberrations present in an anamorphic capture system.